1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile phone, an imaging system employing the same and an imaging method employing the same, and more particularly, it relates to a mobile phone including an imaging portion (camera function), an imaging system employing the same and an imaging method employing the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
A mobile phone including an imaging portion (camera function), an imaging system employing the same and an imaging method employing the same is known in general, as disclosed in each of Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2005-101867, 2005-323254 and 2003-219043, for example.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-101867 discloses a mobile phone, having a camera function (imaging portion) executing an imaging operation in response to an incoming signal from another mobile phone having a previously registered telephone number. This mobile phone is formed to perform the imaging operation with a camera when receiving the incoming signal from another mobile phone having the previously registered telephone number. The mobile phone disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-101867 has a self-timer. The mobile phone disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-101867 is formed to be capable of starting the self-timer when receiving the incoming signal from another mobile phone having the previously registered telephone number and performing the imaging operation with a camera after a time of the self-timer elapses, in a case where the self-timer has been previously set.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-323254 discloses a camera (imaging portion) mobile phone capable of executing an imaging operation in response to an incoming signal from a remote mobile phone. The camera mobile phone according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-323254 is formed to establish a telephone call state by receiving a transmission signal from the remote mobile phone and to thereafter perform the imaging operation on the basis of a prescribed operation from the remote mobile phone, such as input of a password or setting of a timer.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-219043 discloses a folding camera (imaging portion) mobile phone capable of executing an imaging operation on the basis of an operation from a remote operating terminal. The folding camera mobile phone according to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-219043 is formed to receive a control command such as an instruction for executing the imaging operation from the remote operating terminal by communicating with a common carrier server or the like and to perform the imaging operation in response to the received control command.
However, the mobile phone disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-101867 may easily or hardly take a telephone call depending on a radio wave condition or the like in receiving a signal, in a case of performing the imaging operation of a camera when the signal is received. In this case, the imaging operation with a camera is not necessarily performed at the same time of transmitting a signal from the mobile phone (caller) having the previously registered telephone number, and timing of the imaging operation is disadvantageously not constant.
In the camera mobile phone disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-323254, the telephone call state must be established by receiving a transmission signal from the remote mobile phone and the prescribed operation from the remote mobile phone, such as input of a password or setting of a timer, must be thereafter performed in order for the camera mobile phone to perform the imaging operation, and hence a user must perform complicated operations.
The folding camera mobile phone disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-219043 must receive the control command such as the instruction for executing the imaging operation from the remote operating terminal by communicating with the common carrier server or the like to perform the imaging operation. Thus, a user must perform corresponding operations to transmit the control command such as the instruction for executing the imaging operation to the folding camera mobile phone in order for the folding camera mobile phone to perform the imaging operation, and hence the user must perform complicated operations.